Melissa Wickum-Black
Waterloo,NY
Summary
Animal care specialist with 16 years of experience in shelter operations, focusing on health monitoring and client relations. Demonstrated ability to enhance animal welfare through effective communication and problem-solving. Proven success in improving adoption rates and overall animal welfare through team collaboration and client education.
Overview
27
27
years of professional experience
Work History
animalcarespecialist
BeverlyAnimalshelter
Waterloo, New York
08.2009 - 03.2026
- Provided daily care for shelter animals, ensuring optimal health and well-being.
- Monitored animal health, reporting changes to veterinarians for timely intervention.
- Ensured cleanliness of enclosures and common areas, promoting safety and health of shelter animals.
- Facilitated play groups for cats and dogs, promoting socialization and reducing stress for shelter animals.
- Collaborated with team members to design enrichment activities that enhance animal welfare.
- Assisted in adoption processes, facilitating meet-and-greet sessions for potential adopters.
- Informed potential adopters on responsible pet ownership and animal care practices, enhancing adoption success.
- Developed training programs for new staff on animal handling techniques on animal handling procedures and shelter protocols to ensure safety.
lumberhandler
Baillie Lumber
Waterloo, New York
11.1998 - 02.2009
- Inspected wood products for defects, ensuring compliance with quality standards.
- Organized and stacked lumber in designated storage areas to enhance accessibility and efficiency.
- Maintained cleanliness and safety of work areas to promote a secure environment.
- Collaborated with team members to streamline workflow processes, improving coordination across operations.
- Tracked lumber supplies to support inventory management and ensure timely availability of materials.
- Followed safety protocols during daily operations of heavy equipment.
- Procured necessary supplies to ensure operational efficiency. to maintain optimal inventory levels and prevent shortages.
Education
High School Diploma -
Waterloo Central School
Waterloo, NY01-1987
Skills
- Animal health monitoring
- Animal handling
- Shelter sanitation practices
- Client relations
- Team collaboration
- Workflow optimization
- Safety enforcement
- Problem solving
- Communication skills
- Attention to detail
- Stress management
- Adoption support
- Parasite control
- Vaccination protocols
- Animal handling
- Behavior analysis
- Animal transport
- Animal training
- Zoonotic disease prevention
- Client communication
- Habitat maintenance
- Animal nutrition
- Animal health monitoring
- Animal restraint
- Veterinary services
- Compassion and empathy
- Animal enrichment
- Animal socialization
- Enclosure maintenance
- Inventory control
- Animal behavioral assessment
- Kennel disinfection
- Nutritious feeding
- Vaccine administration
- Tick removal
- Vaccine administration
- Infection control
- Exercising and playing
- Cleaning protocols
- Patience and tolerance
- Disease prevention
- Animal care
- Shelter operations
- Animal examinations
- Relationship building
- Effective communication
- Illness treatment
- Shelter sanitation practices
- Animal Housing Safety
- Food intake monitoring
- Animal nutrition
- Animal transport
- Animal Care Standards
- Multitasking Abilities
- Written communication
- Animal tracking
- Maintain equipment
Timeline
animalcarespecialist
BeverlyAnimalshelter
08.2009 - 03.2026
lumberhandler
Baillie Lumber
11.1998 - 02.2009
High School Diploma -
Waterloo Central School